From the Thai Mission Field to Christ College: Lillian Den Butter’s Journey of Faith, Formation and Calling

Born in the small Victorian town of Yackandandah, Lillian spent her early childhood on a dairy farm before her parents received a call to missions. At just seven years old, she found herself transplanted into the rural northeast of Thailand, where her parents joined OMF and began running the James O. Fraser Centre, a residential Bible college serving tribal communities.

“We lived in a rural area so we grew up doing rice planting, planting corn, raising pigs… all sorts of things”, she recalls with a laugh. “It was a very, very fun place to grow up as kids.”

Her childhood was a blend of homeschooling, cross‑cultural friendships, and the daily rhythms of a ministry community. She learned Thai quickly, made friends easily, and thrived in the communal life.

A Crisis, a Pig Pen, and a Prayer

Despite growing up in a Christian home, Lillian’s faith didn’t take root until early adolescence. Returning to Australia for school brought challenges; bullying, social media pressures, and spiralling mental health struggles.

“I was aware of God. I believed God existed”, she shares. “But, I started to have questions. I started to have doubts… I kind of went through a period of just not really buying into it and kind of thinking that I knew better.”

Her struggles intensified until, at 13, back in Thailand, everything came to a head. Through the patient discipleship of a Myanmar couple she’d grown up with, she began asking real questions about Christianity for the first time.

“I started asking them lots of questions about Christianity, asking them, “How do you even become a Christian? What does it even mean?… I was shown passages in the Bible and we went through some of the Gospels. It was a really pivotal time for me.” 

One day, in the middle of a panic attack, instead of resorting to harmful behaviour or lashing out, Lillian found herself running to the pig pen.

“I remember sitting there and praying and asking God to take control of my life… and then I became a Christian.”

She was baptised soon after.

Finding Her Path: From Baking to Bible College

After finishing school, Lillian explored several career paths; hairdressing, nursing, hospitality, and even a baking apprenticeship. But the desire to study the Bible kept resurfacing.

“I figured that… I would love to study the Bible. And so, I’ll go and study the Bible and I’ve got these jobs and I’ll figure something out when we get there.”

She began studying online through a Bible College in Melbourne, but found herself increasingly out of step with the theological environment. When her husband Jesse began exploring full‑time ministry training, they visited several colleges. The moment Lillian discovered Christ College, something clicked.

“I said no I’m going to Christ College and I transferred to Christ College within the day and I was accepted. I was like, ‘Great. I’m a student at Christ College.’”

What drew her most was the Ministry Training for Women (MTW) program.

“I was very interested in MTW and the lens of specific training for women in an environment that’s by women for women… it’s its own thing and it’s relevant, appreciated, and just as valuable.”

Lillian wanted to find a subject that offered her the right amount of flexibility, and that is exactly what the MTW program did. “I could do it on Mondays and could work away at my subjects bit by bit,” she explains. 

MTW: A Place to Grow, Learn, and Belong

MTW quickly became a transformative space for Lillian.

“MTW stands for ministry training for women. It’s run by Carmelina… she is amazing. She believes that women need to know the Bible. They need to know church history. They need to know evangelism, apologetics, pastoral care, all of it.”

Unlike other spiritual formation courses she’d experienced, MTW offered depth, clarity, and rich biblical teaching without the commitment to a four or five year bible degree. 

“It teaches you topics… It’s very Bible heavy… These are lectures that are meaty, full of the Bible.”

It has been through MTW that Lillian has built a loving and supportive community around her. 

“I’ve grown relationships with other women… there’s just something about being united over wanting to learn the Bible together.”

She also cherishes the wider Christ College community, especially the welcome extended to families.

“I try to go every single Wednesday for chapel and for lunch… Ian and other lecturers, they’re always very encouraging, very welcoming… ‘We want the kids. We want the wives. We want families.’ And I found that really, really beautiful.”

Life, Ministry, and Motherhood: Held Together by Grace

Now a mother of two (with a third on the way), Lillian continues to study at a sustainable pace, supported by her husband’s shared commitment to family life.

“He’s exceptionally hands‑on with his kids… he’s said from the very beginning, if you’re expected to be home with two kids and manage, I am expected to be able to be home with two kids and manage.”

This partnership allows her to keep pursuing theological study—something she sees as vital not only for ministry, but for her own spiritual health.

“Studying the Bible has been a huge change for me in my 20s… God has really used it to help me.”

From the rice fields of Thailand to the classrooms of Christ College, Lillian’s journey is marked by resilience, curiosity, and a deepening love for God’s Word.